Vuelta Rider Gallery: Tom Boonen

Quick Step's Belgian champion searching for a bookend in Spain

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Big Belgian Tom Boonen rides with his Quick Step team-mates in the lead-up to tomorrow's Vuelta start. Hopefully Boonen will do something – anything - at the Vuelta, which would be more than he achieved at this year's Tour de France.

It seems a long time ago that Tom Boonen claimed his third Paris-Roubaix title. That was in April. Then came the positive test for cocaine, reports of the second and then the earlier third. An anti-climactic Tour de France participation and, suddenly, a season that had started so well looked to be in tatters.

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What a difference a month can make. August saw Boonen the sprinter re-emerge, finally a stage win at the Eneco Tour. He's already found himself on the podium to collect the points jersey in the opening days of the Vuelta and he'll be hoping to return a stage winner.